Vane room unit and rotary compressor having the same

ABSTRACT

A rotary compressor includes a cylinder main body to define an inner space, a vane coupled to the cylinder main body to extend into and out of the inner space, the cylinder main body including a vane room formed at a side of the cylinder main body to guide entrance and exit of the vane, an opening part to extend from the vane room toward an outer surface of the cylinder main body, and a valve accommodating part to extend from the opening part, and having a sectional area larger than the opening part, and a vane room valve seated in the valve accommodating part to open and close the opening part according to pressure of the vane room.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 2006-0083555, filed on Aug. 31, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present general inventive concept relates to a vane room unit and a rotary compressor having the same, and more particularly to a vane room unit having an improved configuration of a vane room from which a vane to vary a compression capacity goes into and out of, and a rotary compressor having the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a rotary compressor, used as a cooling device, compresses and discharges a refrigerant of high pressure, as a cooling medium, through compression, condensation, expansion, and vaporization processes and is employed for an air conditioner or a refrigerator.

A conventional rotary compressor includes a driving shaft rotating by a magnetic flux variation between a stator and a rotor, a rolling piston coupled to an eccentric part of the driving shaft to rotate in an inner space of a cylinder according to rotation of the driving shaft, and a vane inserted in a side of the cylinder to rectilinearly reciprocate in a radial direction. The vane includes an end part line-contacting with an outer surface of the rolling piston to convert a space part formed by an inner surface of the cylinder and the outer surface of the rolling piston into a compression chamber and a discharge chamber. The vane is accommodated in a vane room formed to a side of the cylinder to go into and out of the vane room toward the rolling piston.

Toward an inner surface of the cylinder, the vane room includes an opening so that the vane can go into and out of the vane room. However, toward an outer surface of the cylinder, the vane room is hermetic to maintain pressure formed in the vane room.

However, in the conventional rotary compressor, since the vane room is provided as a hermetic type, it is difficult to smoothly supply lubricant to a friction surface between the vane and the vane room. Also, when the vane room of the hermetic type is manufactured, an excessive force is applied thereto, thereby causing deformation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present general inventive concept provides a vane room unit and a rotary compressor having the same, providing a vane room of a semi-hermetic type by using a vane room valve to open and close an opening part according to a pressure of the vane room, thereby allowing a continuous supply of lubricant to a friction surface between a vane and the vane room, and preventing deformation when the vane room is manufactured.

Additional aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present general inventive concept.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can be achieved by providing a rotary compressor comprising a cylinder main body to define an inner space, a vane coupled to the cylinder main body to extend into and out of the inner space, the cylinder main body comprising a vane room formed at a side of the cylinder main body to guide entrance and exit of the vane, an opening part to extend from the vane room toward an outer surface of the cylinder main body, and a valve accommodating part to extend from the opening part, and having a sectional area larger than the opening part, and a vane room valve seated in the valve accommodating part to open and close the opening part according to pressure of the vane room.

The rotary compressor may further comprise a valve supporting member coupled to the vane room valve to support the vane room valve when the opening part is opened and closed.

The opening part may communicate with the vane room to guide supply of lubricant when the opening part is opened.

The vane room valve may forcedly contact the valve accommodating part to close the opening part if a low pressure is formed in the vane room, and may open the opening part if a high pressure is formed in the vane room.

The vane room valve may comprise metal, and the valve supporting member may comprise a magnet interposed between the vane room and the vane room valve to attract the vane room valve from an opening position to a closing position.

The valve supporting member may comprise a spring coupled to the vane room valve to elastically press the vane room valve from an opening position to a closing position.

The valve supporting member may comprise a pin coupling a first side of the vane room valve to the valve accommodating part, and a second side of the vane room valve is opened and closed.

The rotary compressor may further comprise a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a vane room unit usable with a rotary compressor comprising a cylinder main body to define an inner space, and a vane coupled to the cylinder main body to go into and out of the inner space, the vane room unit comprising a vane room formed to a side of the cylinder main body to guide entrance and exit of the vane, an opening part to extend from the vane room toward an outer surface of the cylinder main body, a valve accommodating part to extend from the opening part, and having a sectional area larger than the opening part, and a vane room valve seated in the valve accommodating part to open and close the opening part according to pressure of the vane room.

The vane room unit may further comprise a valve supporting member coupled to the vane room valve to support the vane room valve when the opening part is opened and closed.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a rotary compressor, comprising a cylinder main body defining an inner space, and a semi-hermetic vane room to guide a movement of a vane between the inner space and the semi-hermetic vane room, the semi-hermetic vane room comprising a vane room opening formed at an outer surface of the cylinder main body, and a vane room access member to regulate opening and closing of the semi-hermetic vane room according to a pressure thereof.

The access member may comprise a vane room valve seated in the vane room opening to open and close the vane room opening according to a pressure of the vane room, and a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the vane room opening.

The access member may regulate a supply of a lubricant to the vane room.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a method to regulate a supply of lubricant to a vane of a rotary compressor, the method comprising opening a seal of a vane room to allow a supply of lubricant to the vane, wherein the vane is located within the vane room of a main cylinder body to guide a movement of a vane between an inner space defined by the main cylinder body and the semi-hermetic vane room, and the seal is opened or closed according to a pressure of the vane room.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a method to regulate a supply of lubricant to a vane of a rotary compressor, the method comprising opening a seal of a vane room of a main cylinder body by a first pressure level within the vane room to allow supply of lubricant to the vane, and closing the seal of the vane room of the main cylinder body by a second pressure level within the vane room to prevent the lubricant from entering the vane room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration of a rotary compressor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a vane room unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating a valve supporting member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating a valve supporting member according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating a valve supporting member according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below so as to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a rotary compressor 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept may comprise a casing 110, a driving unit 120, a pressure changing part 130, a rolling piston 140, a vane room unit 150 including a vane room 151 a, and an accumulator 160 including a vapor-liquid separating pipe 161.

Referring to FIG. 1, the casing 110 forms an external appearance of the rotary compressor 100, and may include a refrigerant discharge port 111 coupled to an upper part thereof to guide discharge of a compressed refrigerant with a high pressure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the driving unit 120 may include a stator 121 to receive power to form a magnetic field, a rotor 122 rotatably disposed at the stator 121, and a driving shaft 123 having a rod shape, coupled to the stator 122 by a first end part thereof and coupled to the rolling piston 140 by a second end part thereof, to rotate together with the rotor 122.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the driving shaft 123 may comprise an eccentric part 123 a eccentrically protruding from a part to which the rolling piston 140 is coupled.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pressure changing part 130 can be connected to the vane room unit 150 to change the pressure of the vane room 151 a, and includes a high pressure pipe 131, a low pressure pipe 132 and a pressure converting valve 133.

The high pressure pipe 131 can be branched from the refrigerant discharge port 111 to be connected to the pressure converting valve 133.

The low pressure pipe 132 can be branched from the vapor-liquid separating part 161 of the accumulator 160 to be connected to the pressure converting valve 133.

The pressure converting valve 133 opens one of the high pressure pipe 131 and the low pressure pipe 132 according to pressure required to be formed in the vane room 151 a to change the pressure of the vane room 151 a.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rolling piston 140 is coupled to an outer surface of the eccentric part 123 a so that the eccentric part 123 a of the driving shaft 123 can be inserted thereto, and rotates together with the driving shaft 123.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the vane room unit 150 may comprise a cylinder main body 151, a vane 152, a vane room valve 153 and a valve supporting member 154.

Referring to FIG. 2, the cylinder main body 151 forms an inner space P by an inner surface of the cylinder main body 151 and an outer surface of the rolling piston 140, and includes the vane room 151 a, an opening part 151 b, and a valve accommodating part 151 c. The cylinder main body 151 according to the above exemplary embodiment is provided as a single unit, however, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto, and the cylinder main body 151 may be provided in a plurality.

If a high pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a so that the vane 152 can line-contact with an outer surface of the rolling piston 140, the inner space P is partitioned into a compression chamber in which a vapor phase refrigerant having a low temperature and a low pressure is compressed to have a high temperature and a high pressure by the rotating rolling piston 140 and the vane 152, and a discharge chamber in which a vapor phase refrigerant having a high temperature and a high pressure is discharged.

The vane room 151 a is formed to a side of the cylinder main body 151 to guide entrance and exit of the vane 152.

The opening part 151 b can be extended from the vane room 151 a toward an outer surface of the cylinder main body 151, and communicates with the vane room 151 a to guide supply of lubricant if the opening part 151 b is opened. The lubricant can be contained in a lower part of the rotary compressor 100, and can be raised up to the opening part 151 b through a gap between the casing 110 and the cylinder main body 151 by pressure formed in the casing 110.

The valve accommodating part 151 c can be extended from the opening part 151 b, and can have a sectional area larger and/or wider than that of the opening part 151 b to seat and accommodate the vane room valve 153.

The vane 152 is coupled to the vane room 151 a to rectilinearly reciprocate in a radial direction, and an end part of the vane 152 line-contacts with an outer surface of the rolling piston 140 to partition the inner space P of the cylinder main body 151 into the compression chamber and the discharge chamber. Accordingly, if a high pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a, the vane 152 is moved from the vane room 151 a toward the rolling piston 140 to partition the inner space P of the cylinder main body 151 into the compression chamber and the discharge chamber, thereby smoothly completing a compression stroke. If a low pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a, the vane 152 is moved from a contacted position with the rolling piston 140 and is inserted toward the vane room 151 a so that the inner space P of the cylinder main body 151 can be not partitioned into the compression chamber and the discharge chamber and only the rolling piston 140 idly rotates, thereby varying a compression capacity of the rotary compressor 100.

The vane room valve 153 can be seated at the valve accommodating part 151 c to open and close the opening part 151 b according to the pressure of the vane room 151 a. The vane room valve 153 may comprise a planar member with elasticity. Accordingly, if a low pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a, the vane room valve 153 will forcedly contact the valve accommodating part 151 c to close the opening part 151 b. If a high pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a, the vane room valve 153 opens the opening part 151 b, thereby forming the vane room 151 a to be a semi-hermetic type.

A valve supporting member 154 can be coupled to the vane room valve 153 to support the vane room valve 153 so that the vane room valve 153 can be prevented from being separated from the valve accommodating part 151 c when opening and closing the opening part 151 b.

Referring to FIG. 3, the valve supporting member 154 can be interposed between the vane room 151 a and the vane room valve 153, and may include a magnet 154 to attract the vane room valve 153 comprising a metal material from an opening position of the opening part 151 b to a closing position thereof. A section of the magnet 154 can have a concentric circular shape so that the vane room 151 a and the opening part 151 b can communicate with each other. Alternatively, a cross section of the magnet 154 can have sizes and shapes different from the opening part 151 b as long as the vane room 151 a and the opening part 151 b communicate with each other.

The vane room unit 150 may further include a sealing member, such as a gasket, interposed between the vane room valve 153 and the valve accommodating part 151 c to reduce noises and to reinforce a leakage preventing configuration of the rotary compressor 100.

Referring to FIG. 1, the accumulator 160 can be coupled to the rotary compressor 100 to separate a liquid phase refrigerant from refrigerant passed through a heat exchanging unit, and to supply only a vapor phase refrigerant to the rotary compressor 100 through the vapor-liquid separating part 161.

Hereinafter, an operating process of the vane room unit 150 according to the above exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 to 3.

At first, if a low pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a, the vane room valve 153 will forcedly contact the valve accommodating part 151 c to close the opening part 151 b so that the vane room 151 a can maintain the low pressure, and the vane 152 is moved from a contacted position with the rolling piston 140 toward the vane room 151 a. Accordingly, the inner space P of the cylinder main body 151 is not partitioned into the compression chamber and the discharge chamber, and only the rolling piston 140 idly rotates, thereby weakening a compression stroke and limiting a lubricant supply to a friction surface between the vane 152 and the vane room 151 a through the opening part 151 b.

Then, if a high pressure is formed in the vane room 151 a, the vane 152 is moved from the vane room 151 a toward the rolling piston 140, and the end part thereof line-contacts with the outer surface of the rolling piston 140 to partition the inner space P of the cylinder main body 151 into the compression chamber and the discharge chamber to perform a compression stroke. Accordingly, opposite sides of the vane room valve 153 will reach the same pressures, and enable the vane room valve 153 to freely move from the opening part 151 b and periodically open the opening part 151 b so that the lubricant can be supplied to the friction surface between the vane 152 and the vane room 151 a through the opening part 151 b.

Here, for example, the vane room valve 153 is prevented from being separated from the valve accommodating part 151 c by means of the valve supporting member 154 provided as the magnet 154 interposed between the vane room 151 a and the vane room valve 153, and attracting the vane room valve 153 comprising a metal material from the opening position of the opening part 151 b to the closing position thereof.

Accordingly, the vane room 151 a of a semi-hermetic type is formed by using the vane room valve 153 to open and close the opening part 151 b according to the pressure of the vane room 151 a, thereby smoothly and continuously supplying the lubricant to the friction surface between the vane 152 and the vane room 151 a.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a valve supporting member 154 of a rotary compressor 100 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept may comprise a spring coupled to a vane room valve 153 to elastically press the vane room valve 153 from an opening position of an opening part 151 b to a closing position thereof.

A first end part of the spring 154 can be coupled to the vane room valve 153, and a second end part thereof can be coupled to an inner surface of a casing 110 of the rotary compressor 100 facing a valve accommodating part 151 c. Alternatively, the spring 154 may be provided in a plurality. First end parts of the springs 154 may be respectively coupled to the vane room valve 153 and second end parts thereof may be respectively coupled to the valve accommodating part 151 c.

Accordingly, the spring 154 can be coupled to the vane room valve 153 to support the vane room valve 153 so that the vane room valve 153 can be prevented from being separated from the valve accommodating part 151 c when the opening part 151 b is opened and closed.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, a valve supporting member 154 of a rotary compressor 100 according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept may comprise a pin 154 coupling a first side of a vane room valve 153 to a valve accommodating part 151 c.

Accordingly, using the pin 154, the first side of the vane room valve 153 can be coupled to the valve accommodating part 151 c, and a second side of the vane room valve 153 opens and closes an opening part 151 b according to pressure formed in a vane room 151 a. Accordingly, the vane room valve 153 can be easily supported so that the vane room valve 153 can be prevented from being separated from the valve accommodating part 151 c when the opening part 151 b is opened and closed.

According to the present general inventive concept, by forming a semi-hermetic type vane room using a vane room valve to open and close an opening part according to the pressure of the vane room, lubricant can be continuously supplied to a friction surface between a vane and the vane room.

As described above, the present general inventive concept provides a vane room unit and a rotary compressor having the same providing a vane room of a semi-hermetic type using a vane room valve to open and close an opening part according to the pressure of the vane room, thereby continuously supplying lubricant to a friction surface between a vane and the vane room, preventing deformation when the vane room is manufactured, and improving performance and reliability.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A rotary compressor comprising: a cylinder main body to define an inner space; a vane coupled to the cylinder main body to extend into and out of the inner space, the cylinder main body comprising: a vane room formed at a side of the cylinder main body to guide entrance and exit of the vane, an opening part to extend from the vane room toward an outer surface of the cylinder main body, and a valve accommodating part to extend from the opening part, and having a sectional area larger than the opening part; and a vane room valve seated in the valve accommodating part to open and close the opening part according to pressure of the vane room.
 2. The rotary compressor of claim 1, further comprising: a valve supporting member coupled to the vane room valve to support the vane room valve when the opening part is opened and closed.
 3. The rotary compressor of claim 2, wherein the opening part communicates with the vane room to guide supply of lubricant when the opening part is opened.
 4. The rotary compressor of claim 1, wherein the vane room valve forcedly contacts the valve accommodating part to close the opening part if a low pressure is formed in the vane room, and opens the opening part if a high pressure is formed in the vane room.
 5. The rotary compressor of claim 2, wherein: the vane room valve comprises metal, and the valve supporting member comprises a magnet interposed between the vane room and the vane room valve to attract the vane room valve from an opening position to a closing position.
 6. The rotary compressor of claim 2, wherein the valve supporting member comprises: a spring coupled to the vane room valve to elastically press the vane room valve from an opening position to a closing position.
 7. The rotary compressor of claim 2, wherein the valve supporting member comprises: a pin coupling a first side of the vane room valve to the valve accommodating part, and a second side of the vane room valve is opened and closed.
 8. The rotary compressor of claim 7, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 9. The rotary compressor of claim 6, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 10. The rotary compressor of claim 5, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 11. The rotary compressor of claim 4, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 12. The rotary compressor of claim 3, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 13. The rotary compressor of claim 2, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 14. The rotary compressor of claim 1, further comprising: a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the valve accommodating part.
 15. A vane room unit usable with a rotary compressor comprising a cylinder main body to define an inner space, and a vane coupled to the cylinder main body to go into and out of the inner space, the vane room unit comprising: a vane room formed to a side of the cylinder main body to guide entrance and exit of the vane; an opening part to extend from the vane room toward an outer surface of the cylinder main body; a valve accommodating part to extend from the opening part, and having a sectional area larger than the opening part; and a vane room valve seated in the valve accommodating part to open and close the opening part according to pressure of the vane room.
 16. The vane room unit of claim 15, further comprising: a valve supporting member coupled to the vane room valve to support the vane room valve when the opening part is opened and closed.
 17. A rotary compressor, comprising: a cylinder main body defining an inner space; and a semi-hermetic vane room to guide a movement of a vane between the inner space and the semi-hermetic vane room, the semi-hermetic vane room comprising: a vane room opening formed at an outer surface of the cylinder main body, and a vane room access member to regulate opening and closing of the semi-hermetic vane room according to a pressure thereof.
 18. The rotary compressor of claim 17, wherein the access member comprises: a vane room valve seated in the vane room opening to open and close the vane room opening according to a pressure of the vane room; and a sealing member interposed between the vane room valve and the vane room opening.
 19. The rotary compressor of claim 17, wherein the access member regulates a supply of a lubricant to the vane room.
 20. A method to regulate a supply of lubricant to a vane of a rotary compressor, the method comprising: opening a seal of a vane room to allow a supply of lubricant to the vane, wherein the vane is located within the vane room of a main cylinder body to guide a movement of a vane between an inner space defined by the main cylinder body and the semi-hermetic vane room, and the seal is opened or closed according to a pressure of the vane room.
 21. A method to regulate a supply of lubricant to a vane of a rotary compressor, the method comprising: opening a seal of a vane room of a main cylinder body by a first pressure level within the vane room to allow supply of lubricant to the vane; and closing the seal of the vane room of the main cylinder body by a second pressure level within the vane room to prevent the lubricant from entering the vane room. 